Creating a “WOW!” Trade Show Booth Without Breaking the Bank

Many companies are intimidated by the cost of exhibiting at trade shows. However, trade shows can prove to be extremely cost effective for lead generation, brand development, and increasing sales. Creating an attractive exhibit should be looked at as an investment in your company’s future. If you are smart with your exhibit design, there are plenty of ways to save money on your next trade show display. Developing a stunning, effective trade show booth doesn’t have to break the bank. Our design professionals can work within any budget to create a beautiful, branded display.

Work with what you have

A good place to start when designing a trade show display is to look at what your company already has in terms of display, website, and direct marketing material. Even if you don’t have an exhibit sitting around the office, you may find some pamphlets or interesting video content to inspire your next trade show display. Working with what you have is a great way to develop an attractive display while working within a tight budget.

Company lobby signage and any outdoor signs or other elements are great at providing some initial design guidance for your trade show exhibit. Also take a careful look at any displays used for sales conferences, internal company meetings, and customer events.

Embrace Minimal Design

In recent years, companies have been embracing a very minimal, clean aesthetic in their marketing design. This is great news for businesses that are working within a tight budget! As long as the accessories and graphics that you do have are high quality, minimal design can be a great way to project a clean, cohesive image. You should develop a color scheme that is cohesive but not overbearing, and then embrace it in every aspect of your exhibit. With minimal design, it is important that you don’t overcrowd your graphics space with too much visual clutter. This may work better for some companies than others depending on your product or service. Be sure not to confuse your visitors by leaving everything out! However, leaving some details to the imagination in your graphic design can spark interest in people walking by and get a conversation started. Developing graphics and display images on your own is also a good way to cut costs, but working with a design professional will help you create a modern, minimal design without compromising quality.

Overcrowding floor space can also work against you in designing your trade show booth. An open, inviting floor plan will help attract more visitors and leave space for them to interact with your staff. The best part is, embracing open space in your booth design will also help cut costs! However, be sure you have all the basics covered (like graphic space, at least one podium, and room for literature or tech shelving) so that your booth looks presentable and works from a functional standpoint.

Minimize Shipping Costs

The larger and heavier your trade show booth is, the more it will cost for shipping and transportation. Plan your display with shipping in mind so that you don’t get caught with a bunch of surprise expenses the week of the event. Selecting the right freight carrier to ship your trade show exhibit can help you reduce costs, as sometimes the official show vendor isn’t the cheapest option. Be sure to select a carrier that is familiar with the trade show process.

Also try to avoid displays made using composite (heavy) materials and go with plastic shipping tubs over wood crates if at all possible as composite based displays are much heavier than modern extrusion and truss based exhibits coupled with fabric graphics.

It’s important to remember that you will also be expected to pay drayage costs once your display has arrived. A good way of cutting back on these costs is to transport some pieces (especially the more fragile ones) yourself. Minimizing shipping costs will allow you to allocate more of your budget to quality display walls and promotional literature.

Choose the Right Display

One of the more obvious ways to save on your trade show booth is by selecting a display style that is right for your company as well as your budget. Some styles of display work better for certain types of event, product or service. If you are exhibiting to promote your brand or service, you will want to include a lot of space to include visual information, such as banner stands, pop up walls, and video monitors. Fabric pop up displays are a more affordable option that will help you create a visually stunning space. They can also be integrated with existing display assets to update your look or branding.

Adding podiums, table tops displays, shelving, countertops, and even seating areas is a great way to develop a stunning exhibit in a modular fashion. Modular displays are also perfect for companies looking to minimize cost while at the same time creating a high-end look. They are easy to transport and set up, but still stand out with sophisticated design.

Renting a trade show display instead of buying one outright can help you reduce costs, especially if you are new to exhibiting. You want to be sure that your booth design is effective before spending a fortune. Working with a display professional to find a booth rental that fits your brand is a great way to save money in the long run. Display rentals can be shipped directly to and from the event, and can include custom printed graphics to make your trade show experience as hassle-free as possible.